World Culture in the World Polity: A Century of International Non-Governmental Organization

TLDR

These NGOs, deeply intertwined with the expanding state system and world economy, have helped construct a world polity that transcends mere economic and political networks. The study analyzes the growth of international NGOs from 1875 to 1973 using a dataset of nearly 6,000 organizations. The authors examine the distribution of NGOs across major social sectors and review sectoral historical studies to show how these organizations shape world culture and influence states and intergovernmental bodies. Their analysis identifies universalism, individualism, voluntaristic authority, rational progress, and world citizenship as core elements of world culture.

Abstract

The authors analyze the growth of international non-governmental organizations between 1875 and 1973 using a data set on almost 6,000 organizations. Although these organizations are highly interconnected with the expanding state system and world economy, as reflections of and contributors to world culture they have helped construct a world polity that cannot be reduced to networks of economic and political interaction. Their analysis of the structure and aims of these organizations identifies the principles of universalism, individualism, voluntaristic authority, rational progress, and world citizenship as central elements of world culture. They also describe the structure of world culture by studying the distribution of these organizations across major social sectors, highlighting the centrality of rationalizing scientific, technical, economic, and infrastructural organizations that go largely unnoticed. Finally, they review sectoral historical studies showing how these organizations shape world culture and influence states and intergovernmental organizations